Is There Something Wrong With My Centaurea Montana

Question

The buds although flowering seem to struggle as they have to come through a cobwebby furry substance as they emerge, I don’t remember it looking like this last year, but maybe I just didn’t notice, so please could you tell me is it meant to look like this and if not should I dig up the infected plant and hope that the many seedlings around it are ok?

Answer 1

There may be a caterpillar feeding inside the webbing. Pull back the webbing and see if there is anything inside.

I would cut the buds off below the webbing and that should remove the pests.